Iraqi Air Force

Iraqi Air Force
MrPenguin20 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Unit name	Iraqi Air Force
Native name	القوة الجوية العراقية
Caption	Emblem
Country	Iraq
Branch	Iraqi Armed Forces
Role	Air warfare
Garrison	Baghdad
Garrison label	Headquarters
Equipment	Aircraft

Iraqi Air Force is the aerial warfare branch associated with Iraq and the Iraqi Armed Forces. Established in the interwar and early independence era, it has undergone repeated transformations through the Monarchy of Iraq (1921–1958), Republic of Iraq, Ba'ath Party, Gulf War (1990–1991), Iraq War (2003–2011), and the post-2014 campaign against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. Its composition, bases, and doctrine reflect influences from United Kingdom, Soviet Union, United States, France, and neighboring regional air arms.

History

Origins trace to interwar aviation units created under the British Mandate for Mesopotamia and advisors from the Royal Air Force. Early procurement included aircraft from Supermarine, de Havilland, and Armstrong Whitworth firms serving during the Iraq Levies era and the Kingdom of Iraq. The 1958 14 July Revolution and subsequent coups accelerated ties with the Soviet Union, yielding transfers of Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15, MiG-17, and later MiG-21 fighters. Under Saddam Hussein and the Ba'ath Party regime, expansion featured purchases from France (including Dassault Mirage F1) and China (including Chengdu J-7 variants). The force saw major combat in the Iran–Iraq War and sustained losses during the Gulf War (1990–1991), where campaigns by Operation Desert Storm and coalition air arms engaged Iraqi airfields and surface-to-air defenses like the S-75 Dvina and S-125 Neva/Pechora systems. Post-2003, following Coalition Provisional Authority, the air arm was largely rebuilt with assistance from the United States Department of Defense, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and NATO partners. During the insurgency and the rise of ISIL, Iraqi aviation supported counterinsurgency operations alongside Peshmerga and Popular Mobilization Forces.

Organization and Structure

Command is under the Iraqi Ministry of Defence and coordinates with the Joint Operations Command. The force is organized into airbases, squadrons, and support wings modeled after structures seen in the Royal Air Force, United States Air Force, and Russian Aerospace Forces. Key command posts have been located near Baghdad International Airport, Al-Habaniya Air Base, and Al Asad Airbase. Logistics and maintenance partnerships involve contractors such as Lockheed Martin and regional facilities in Jordan and United Arab Emirates. Intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance tasks interface with the Iraqi Intelligence Service and coalition systems like AWACS platforms. Training, air traffic control, and search and rescue integrate doctrine influenced by NATO, U.S. Central Command, and legacy Soviet practices.

Aircraft and Equipment

Inventory historically spanned fighters like the Mikoyan MiG-21, MiG-23, and Dassault Mirage F1; attack and strike platforms such as the Sukhoi Su-25 and Sukhoi Su-24; transports like the Lockheed C-130 Hercules and Antonov An-12; helicopters including the Mil Mi-8, Mil Mi-24, and Bell UH-1 Iroquois; and training types such as the Aero L-39 Albatros. Modern acquisitions added the Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon and rotary-wing types like the AgustaWestland AW139 through contracts with AGUSTAWestland (Leonardo), Bell Helicopter, and Sikorsky. Air defense and ground-based systems accompanying air operations have included radars from NATO suppliers, surface-to-air missiles of Soviet origin, and integrated command systems from Raytheon and Thales.

Operations and Conflicts

The force conducted sorties in the 1941 Iraqi coup d'état and subsequent Anglo-Iraqi War, provided close air support during the Kurdish–Iraqi conflicts, and engaged in extensive air campaigns during the Iran–Iraq War including cross-border interdiction and strategic strikes. In Operation Desert Storm, Iraqi airfields and remaining aircraft were targeted by RAF and United States Air Force missions supported by carriers from the United States Navy and Royal Navy. During the 2003 invasion of Iraq, coalition strikes neutralized command-and-control and air capability. After reconstitution, Iraqi aircraft conducted counterinsurgency and close air support missions against Al-Qaeda in Iraq and later ISIL, coordinating with Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve and receiving target intelligence from CENTCOM and allied reconnaissance assets.

Training and Bases

Training partnerships have included programs with the Royal Air Force, United States Air Force Academy, French Air and Space Force, and training contractors such as CAE and Serco. Pilot pipelines use jet trainers like the Aero L-39 and simulators from Lockheed Martin and CAE. Major airbases include Balad Air Base, Basra International Airport (as a military facility at times), Al Qayyarah Airfield, Taji Air Base, and Erbil International Airport for coordination with Peshmerga forces. Maintenance depots have collaborated with Antonov workshops, Saab for avionics, and regional logistics hubs in Turkey and Kuwait.

Modernization and Procurement

Post-2003 modernization engaged multilateral procurement from United States Department of Defense, Lockheed Martin, and European suppliers including France and Italy. Notable programs include acquisition of F-16 Block 52 jets, renovation of NATO-standard airbases funded by United States Agency for International Development援 and security assistance frameworks like Foreign Military Financing. Procurement also targeted rotary-wing fleets with Bell AH-1Z Viper and transport heavy-lift like the Sikorsky CH-53. Challenges included budgetary constraints tied to Iraqi Oil Ministry revenues, political negotiations involving Parliament of Iraq, and complex interoperability with Turkish Air Force and Iranian Air Force airspace considerations. Future plans have explored purchases from France (multirole fighters), Russia (Sukhoi platforms), and regional maintenance agreements with United Arab Emirates and Jordan to sustain readiness against threats such as ISIL and transnational militant groups.

Category:Air forces